


Pearl Garb

by love_killed_the_superstar



Series: Roses and Renegades [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Homeworld Gems - Freeform, Homeworld Hierarchy (Steven Universe), Homeworld is Horrible, Pre-Canon, Requited Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), White Diamond Theory, spoilers related to the new york toy fair, this fic is my hot take on whats up with pearls outfit in these key chain spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 19:23:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13770876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: Rose Quartz questions Pearl's new wardrobe.(Spoilers for the key-chain reveals.)





	Pearl Garb

**Author's Note:**

> SO THIS IS MY HOT TAKE ON WHY PEARL'S OUTFIT LOOKS SO DANG WEIRD IN THESE NEW KEY CHAIN SPOILERS  
> I wasn't intending to make any continuation on The Zookeeper's Lament but then those damn key chains were revealed and??? For starters I'm super chuffed that the design for rose's homeworld outfit i made in a comic about 3 years ago held up. And secondly I am so confused by pearl's outfit like HONEY THIS DRESS JUST AIN'T WORKING FOR YOU

The human's day cycle has come and gone, and the Zoo is quiet. Three human babies have been born in the last week, a result of the last choosening ceremony nine months prior. Mercifully White Diamond is keeping Pink Diamond occupied with her detailed report on the progress of the Earth colony, so these small humans will surely live. Rose is determined to stash them away in the cubbies should there be a need, even if it upsets the humans. Better for their babies to be missed than murdered, in her opinion.

Her duty has just ended with the beginning of the night cycle, and she feels stiff and tired. Any other night and she'd gladly tuck herself away in her cubbyhole and sleep through the rest cycle, regardless of if Biggs and Candy had any amusing stories for her about the day's events. But tonight is different, because just two days into Pink Diamond's monthly visit to the Zoo, the arrival of White Diamond's ship was announced. With any luck, she'll have already docked, and Rose has no time to lose.

As she turns the corner, she spies a pearl standing guard at the door. It isn't Pink Diamond's pearl – she knows her by now, after the fiasco last time – but a pale pearl donning a large pink skirt that slightly resembles a tulip, big puffy teal sleeves and a tangerine bodice that clashes terribly with both. As Rose ventures closer, a little disappointed that Pearl doesn't seem to be out 'on display', as the other quartzes like to call it, the pearl's face lights up.

“Rose.”

Rose almost does a double take. Are her eyes and ears failing her? Maybe she's hallucinating the hideous dress?

But lo and behold, the disgustingly dressed pearl stood before her is _Pearl._ And just as soon as the excitement is there, it vanishes from her face, replaced by twin teal blotches on her cheeks as she becomes self-conscious of the truly unsightly garb she's dressed in. She's been anticipating reuniting with Rose for months now, she just never imagined looking quite as dreadful in any fantasies she'd entertained.

“...Pearl?” Rose hates that her voice rises in a question, and hates that Pearl wilts at the sound of it.

“Yes. It's... it's been a while.”

Rose inwardly curses and moves closer still, reaching for her delicate hands.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Of course I know it's you, my dear, I've never known any gem to light up the way you do when you look at me!”

Pearl scoffs. “Oh, spare me, I know you have the entire cohort wrapped around your gem.”

Her face breaks out into a grin.

“Guilty as charged. Now, er, forgive me, but what in the clodding stars are you wearing? Is White Diamond _cracked?”_

Pearl blushes a bright blue, and Rose can't help but delight in the way it bleeds through the porcelain of her cheeks, animating her in such a way that's decidedly un-pearl-like.

“My Diamond would never order me into such loud clothing,” she says hurriedly, though it isn't like White Diamond's usual choice of attire for her pearls is much better. “This is... well, rather the work of _Your_ Diamond, actually.”

Any humour in the situation drains away like a punch.

“She... she _used_ you?” Rose croaks. “She played with you like the humans? Like her own pearl?”

The blush is still there, lingering like a bloodstain, and endearing as it was just moments ago, now it holds enough shame to send chills through Rose's gem.

“Yes,” Pearl says feebly. She huffs out a laugh, the skeleton of the giggles Rose can draw out from her on better days, hollow and humourless. “White Diamond had urgent business with one of her own colonies and had to take a call outside. She didn't order me to accompany her, so Pink Diamond t-took charge of me.”

Rose cups her face, checking her gem with urgency, memories of the lifelessness of a cloudy pearl still fresh in her mind from the last time Pink Diamond had visited. Pearl's gem is still as wonderfully lustrous as ever, and her gem swells with relief.

“Oh, stars,” she whispers. “Thank goodness, your gem is safe. Did she hurt you anywhere else?”

Pearl shakes her head, leaning into Rose's touch.

“No, it's nothing more than being held too tight around the middle.” Pearl pulls a face. “But she had me wear this horrible dress over my usual form, and I'd take it off if she wouldn't notice it missing and get upset. My Diamond... found it _funny.”_

“She clearly finds no problem in Pink Diamond doing whatever she wants, so long as her report is detailed enough!” Rose fumes. She shakes her head. “It's not fair on you. I'm sorry, Pearl.”

Pearl shrugs, eyes downcast. “It doesn't matter. You didn't make me wear this. I've been lucky that it's just the once, Pink Diamond's pearl has to endure this constantly. And back on Homeworld she has a dozen of them in her court. I saw her snap one's neck during a court meeting once, from playing too roughly with her.”

“I'm sorry,” Rose whispers, feeling tears surging upwards, from the pit of her gem up, up and into her eyes. “It isn't right. What you go through, what they go through...”

“We're pearls,” Pearl says coldly, as though all that cruelty needed no further explanation. “Pearls don't matter. That's what any upper crust will tell you.”

“Well they're wrong. If they knew you like I did, they'd never dismiss a pearl so quickly again. We'll liberate Homeworld one day, just you wait.”

“I'm sick of waiting,” Pearl says sharply, and her hands reached for Rose's waist. “And I'm sick of being pitied because of Pink Diamond's dismal fashion sense. I didn't travel across galaxies just to upset you, Rose.”

“I know that,” Rose defends, and she reaches over to smooth a thumb along Pearl's gem. The sensation pulls out a sharp inhale, the smallest gasp, and Rose smiles wickedly. “It's my turn to wait on you, my Pearl.”

Pearl's eyes twinkle like the cosmos, and Rose leans in. Their kisses are soft, without hunger – there's a time and a place, but they haven't found it yet. Certainly not in an open corridor in the Human Zoo, that's for sure. At any moment they could hear the booming clicks of White Diamond's heels surging towards them, forcing them apart. Or an agate could sweep past, crying out in disgust to find one of her quartzes getting sweet on a _Diamond's_ pearl, of all forbidden things!

One day, Rose is sure, they will be able to kiss deeply and without incident, for as long as they please. But in the 183 years since she first struck up conversation with Pearl, during a long guard shift when pearl was little more than another cute pearl to tease, they've never found more than a few hours peace at a time before being called away to their duties once more. It's clodding inconvenient, but they deal.

“I wish we could leave here,” Pearl says softly, in between kisses. “I wish we could escape in a blaze of glory. Do you think we'd make it?”

“I know we would,” Rose entertains her, pecking her cheeks and grabbing bunches of her skirt, purposely creasing it just to know that she's here and this is real, not just another fantasy from a lonely night in the cubbies. “We'll run the agates through with our trusty swords, steal a ruby ship... Candy and Biggs will wave us off, of course, wish us a very happy life together... we'll go to Earth. We'll fight for the life we're going to make for ourselves, even if we die trying. I'd rather be shattered at your side than lose my happiness here, in the deepest corner of space, watching humans die over and over again whilst knowing we can never be together.”

Pearl takes her hands and squeezes, hard.

“We'll always be together,” she says, a fierceness there that Rose is always so gleeful to experience first hand. “Do you understand, Rose? Why am I being an obedient little pearl for White Diamond if you're doubting yourself? We choose our battles wisely, and we fight them in any way we can.”

“Stars, you're amazing,” breathes Rose, leaning down to press a kiss to Pearl's gem. “Oh, I adore you, even when you're dressed like a cracked aquamarine. We'll do this, okay? When we have an opportunity, we'll make it happen, I promise you.”

“Good,” Pearl breathes, shuddering happily at the sensation of Rose's lips against her gemstone. She smiles up at her impishly, lacing their fingers together. “Because I'm not letting you go, Rose Quartz.”

Honestly, Rose can't imagine it any other way.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is more of a conversation without much plot, than anything, but I've been meaning to do a piece on that dress because, oh man, I really don't like it. I'm clinging to the belief that it looks as gaudy as it does on purpose.  
> Let me know what you think? (About the fic, not the dress. Although, I'll take those opinions on board too, of course.)


End file.
